1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved method of and system for illuminating moving and well as stationary objects, such as parcels, during image formation and detection operations, and also to an improved method of and system for acquiring and analyzing information about the physical attributes of such objects using such improved methods of object illumination, and digital image analysis.
2. Brief Description of the State of Knowledge in the Art
The use of image-based bar code symbol readers and scanners is well known in the field of auto-identification. Examples of image-based bar code symbol reading/scanning systems include, for example, hand-hand scanners, point-of-sale (POS) scanners, and industrial-type conveyor scanning systems.
Presently, most commercial image-based bar code symbol readers are constructed using charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensing/detecting technology. Unlike laser-based scanning technology, CCD imaging technology has particular illumination requirements which differ from application to application.
Most prior art CCD-based image scanners, employed in conveyor-type package identification systems, require high-pressure sodium, metal halide or halogen lamps and large, heavy and expensive parabolic or elliptical reflectors to produce sufficient light intensities to illuminate the large depth of field scanning fields supported by such industrial scanning systems. Even when the light from such lamps is collimated or focused using such reflectors, light strikes the target object other than where the imaging optics of the CCD-based camera are viewing. Since only a small fraction of the lamps output power is used to illuminate the CCD camera's field of view, the total output power of the lamps must be very high to obtain the illumination levels required along the field of view of the CCD camera. The balance of the output illumination power is simply wasted in the form of heat.
Most prior art CCD-based hand-held image scanners use an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) to flood the field of view of the imaging optics in such scanning systems. A large percentage of the output illumination from these LED sources is dispersed to regions other than the field of view of the scanning system. Consequently, only a small percentage of the illumination is actually collected by the imaging optics of the system, Examples of prior an CCD hand-held image scanners employing LED illumination arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 36,528, 5,777,314, 5,756,981, 5,627,358, 5,484,994, 5,786,582, and 6,123,261 to Roustaei, each assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc. and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In such prior art CCD-based hand-held image scanners, an array of LEDs are mounted in a scanning head in front of a CCD-based image sensor that is provided with a cylindrical lens assembly. The LEDs are arranged at an angular orientation relative to a central axis passing through the scanning head so that a fan of light is emitted through the light transmission aperture thereof that expands with increasing distance away from the LEDs. The intended purpose of this LED illumination arrangement is to increase the “angular distance” and “depth of field” of CCD-based bar code symbol readers. However, even with such improvements in LED illumination techniques, the working distance of such hand-held CCD scanners can only be extended by using more LEDs within the scanning head of such scanners to produce greater illumination output therefrom, thereby increasing the cost, size and weight of such scanning devices.
Similarly, prior art “hold-under” and “hands-free presentation” type CCD-based image scanners suffer from shortcomings and drawbacks similar to those associated with prior art CCD-based hand-held image scanners.
Recently, there have been some technological advances made involving the use of laser illumination techniques in CCD-based image capture systems to avoid the shortcomings and drawbacks associated with using sodium-vapor illumination equipment, discussed above. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,506 (assigned to Galore Scantec Ltd.), incorporated herein by reference, discloses the use of a cylindrical lens to generate from a single visible laser diode (VLD) a narrow focused line of laser light which fans out an angle sufficient to fully illuminate a code pattern at a working distance. As disclosed, mirrors can be used to fold the laser illumination beam towards the code pattern to be illuminated in the working range of the system. Also, a horizontal linear lens array consisting of lenses is mounted before a linear CCD image array, to receive diffused reflected laser light from the code symbol surface. Each single lens in the linear lens array forms its own image of the code line illuminated by the laser illumination beam. Also, subaperture diaphragms are required in the CCD array plane to (i) differentiate image fields, (ii) prevent diffused reflected laser light from passing through a lens and striking the image fields of neighboring lenses, and (iii) generate partially-overlapping fields of view from each of the neighboring elements in the lens array. However, while avoiding the use of external sodium vapor illumination equipment, prior art laser-illuminated CCD-based image capture system suffers from several significant shortcomings and drawbacks. In particular, it requires very complex image forming optics which makes this system design difficult and expensive to manufacture, and imposes a number of undesirable constraints which are very difficult to satisfy when constructing an auto-focus/auto-zoom image acquisition and analysis system for use in demanding applications.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for an improved method of and system for illuminating the surface of objects during image formation and detection operations, and also an improved method of and system for producing digital images using such improved methods object illumination, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art illumination, imaging and scanning systems and methodologies.